The will be working on delivering the masterplan for the 3 acre site, which connects Birmingham city centre to Eastside and sits adjacent to the McLaren Building, Hotel La Tour and Nikal’s Hive residential development.

In response to market conditions, Nikal will be submitting a revised application for planning consent for the development of up to 600,000 sq ft of offices and retail across two buildings, with an additional 200 hotel rooms and apartments, set around a public square.

James Payne (pictured top left with Paul Rouse, Savills, and Dav Bansal, Glenn Howell Architects), design director, Nikal, said: “The appointment of the design team is a huge step towards the realisation of this project and the delivery of the next stage in Birmingham’s vision for the expansion of the city core.

“This development gives us the opportunity to spearhead the extension of Birmingham’s traditional business district, creating a link with Eastside and ultimately HS2 that will deliver high-quality office accommodation to a burgeoning city, the demand in which will continue to grow.

“The second phase of Masshouse represents one of few large-scale, deliverable, new build commercial sites within the city. With the site already cleared and low-carbon infrastructure in place it will, when completed, go a long way towards easing the predicted shortage of Grade A commercial space that we will be facing in the next few years.”

Dav Bansal, director, Glenn Howells Architects, said: “In reappraising the masterplan for phase two of Masshouse, we are extremely keen to ensure that we create a deliverable, attractive and sustainable commercial environment, offset by high quality public realm.”

The Eastside area of the city is due to undergo extensive redevelopment in the next few years.

Projects including the City Park – the first public park to be built in Birmingham for over 130 years – are underway, with proposals for additional schemes, including a new cultural quarter.

Paul Rouse, director, Savills, said: “Masshouse will provide the missing link between the city’s established business district and the rejuvenated Eastside area. As an Enterprise Zone site there is already acknowledgment from Birmingham City Council that Masshouse has a key role to play in the economic recovery of the City. With the prospect of the HS2 terminus on the doorstep Masshouse will become a front door to the city’s enlarged business district.”

The site is situated adjacent to Nikal’s completed Masshouse residential scheme, which comprises over 340 residential units across two buildings, including Hive

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A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.

This looks like the first scheme in the city to get going thanks to co-ordinated public sector investment. Ignoring the removal of Masshouse Circus, it seems that the implementation of the heating system, City Park construction, New Street station redevelopment, Enterprise Zone designation, Midland Metro extension and HS2 have all had massive impacts on the progression of this scheme.

MOMENTUM is gathering behind a large-scale office development scheme planned for central Birmingham.

Developer Nikal has appointed a design team for its proposed multi-use scheme at Masshouse, over the road from its Hive residential development and Hotel La Tour and in front of the McLaren building.

A revised application for planning consent for the three acre site has been submitted to Birmingham City Council and comprises 600,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, 200 hotel rooms and apartments all set around a new public square.

Savills will be acting as planning consultants with Glenn Howells Architects appointed to deliver the masterplan for the site, which connects Birmingham city centre to Eastside.

Nikal design director James Payne said: “The appointment of the design team is a huge step towards the realisation of this project and the delivery of the next stage in Birmingham’s vision for the expansion of the city core.

“This development gives us the opportunity to spearhead the extension of Birmingham’s traditional business district, creating a link with Eastside and ultimately HS2 that will deliver high-quality office accommodation to a burgeoning city, the demand in which will continue to grow.

“The second phase of Masshouse represents one of few large-scale, deliverable, new build commercial sites within the city. With the site already cleared and low-carbon infrastructure in place it will, when completed, go a long way towards easing the predicted shortage of Grade A commercial space that we will be facing in the next few years.”

Glenn Howells Architects director Dav Bansal said: “In reappraising the masterplan for phase two of Masshouse, we are extremely keen to ensure that we create a deliverable, attractive and sustainable commercial environment, offset by high quality public realm.”

Identified by Birmingham City Council as a key area for regeneration, the Eastside area of the city is due to undergo extensive redevelopment in the next few years. Projects include the City Park - the first public park to be built in Birmingham for more than 130 years.

Savills director Paul Rouse said: “Masshouse will provide the missing link between the city’s established business district and the rejuvenated Eastside area.

“As an Enterprise Zone site there is already acknowledgment from Birmingham City Council that Masshouse has a key role to play in the economic recovery of the City. With the prospect of the HS2 terminus on the doorstep Masshouse will become a front door to the city’s enlarged business district.”

I think this is the spot to go high (higher than anywherein the city previously) and bold in design. It's a site that is clearly visible for people arriving by rail into New St and by HS2. It has an expansive frontage onto Moor St and the park, plus prime routes either side (surely one of which likely to be a future Metro route) and there is a blank canvas with no historic or listed buildings to overshadow or accomodate.

Whilst the design at the start of the thread is nice and classy and there can't really be complaints: it's also very Brindleyplace/Paradise Circus-ish and I really think we should go bolder and brasher here.

I'd be happier with one single building of somewhere approaching 200m akin to Leadenhall or Heron Tower in the city of London. Offering the same space in meter-squared but in an iconic, glassy, spacious, open structure, with more public space surrounding.

Don't get me wrong, I know most people would too, and I'm living in a dream world. But it saddens me that another prime location is going to be developed second rate (like the Morrisons at Fiveways) because of the 'economic climate.' We should take a chance here, surely the costs will be made back several times over within a few years of HS2 running? It's just what this area needs.

At the moment Birmingham has loads of potential office sites. Apart from around Colmore Row I doubt there are many spots in Birmingham that could generate the rents required for above 20 storeys. Both of the proposed buildings look pretty large at 12 and 14/16 storeys. These proposals are reasonably ambitious considering the economic climate.

Agree. I'm Probably going to get some abuse for saying this so bluntly, but "proper" skyscrapers in Brum, or any other city outside London are ego over economics. As said above, the per SQ FT rents don't justify it.

Better to focus on high quality, medium rise stuff which has a chance of being built, being viable, and being fully utilised.